Keep on the Shadowfell: Session 10

Pale sunlight greeted the Blue Moon Company as they set out the next morning. Early morning fog had settled between the hills, and to the party is seemed that the landscape consisted of small islands floating on a sea of white.

Heading north towards the keep, following directions given to them by Valthrun, they followed a worn track, overgrown and disused. By mid morning the fog had been burned off by the wan sunlight and the landscape had change, becoming more forested. The track wound through the forest, and as they approached their destination, they began to see the ruins of rough stone buildings, perhaps farms or homesteads that had been settled around the keep.

At around midday, the track opened out into a large clearing in the middle of the forest. In the centre of the clearing stood the ruins of the keep. Fallen stone blocks, and ruined and burned timbers lay around in piles. The remains of one tower stood to the western end, and the largest pile of stones indicated the location of the central keep.

The party approached warily, looking out for attack.

“Kaza is cold,” remarked the wizard. The temperature had indeed dropped, and all the woodland sounds that had accompanied them on their journey here had ceased. Birdsong, the whirr of insects and the rustling of the breeze in the trees had vanished. An oppressive aura hung over the ruins.

“I feel as though someone is watching us.” Jia looked around, attempting to spot the hidden observer.

“Most likely it is the influence of the rift between our world and the Shadowfell that causes this feeling. It is to be expected,” replied Eilonwy. “Corellon grant me the grace to remain firm in this tainted place.”

A quick search of the ruins revealed the presence of a stairway leading into the bowels of the earth, and the party headed down. Ahead shone the light of lanterns. Jia crept forwards stealthily, her crossbow held in her hand.

At the bottom of the stairs a chamber opened out, the roof held up by four thin pillars. Passages led away from the other three cardinal points, and to the south, between the pillars, Jia saw a goblin. Leaning against the wall, his spear held in the crook of one arm, he seemed not to see her as she crouched in the shadows.

She slowly raised her crossbow, closed one eye, sighted along the bolt and took careful aim at the side of the goblin's head. Drawing one deep breath, she slowly let it out halfway, gently squeezed the trigger, felt the kick as the bolt was launched...and watched as it soared over the goblin's head and clattered off the wall above him.

Instantly alert, he gripped his spear in both hands, and looked about for threats. He didn't see the rogue as the rest of the party ran down the stairs and into the room. Bakaan, brave leader that he was, ran across the room at the goblin, and failed to see the tarpaulin that was stretched out on the floor between the pillars. Dyed the same colour as the stone underfoot and sprinkled with dust, the tarp was designed to defeat those who charged recklessly into the room. As Bakaan ran onto the sheet, the thin threads that connected it to the pillars snapped, and he plummeted to the bottom of a hidden pit, landing with a bone jarring crunch. He pushed himself to his feet, only to be assaulted by a horde of large rats that flowed from holes in the pit walls. Sharp biting teeth began to attach themselves to the exposed parts of his flesh, and he yelled in pain.

Above him, the rest of the party found themselves in combat with more goblins. Sharpshooters opened fire with crossbows with surprising accuracy, while goblin warriors took up covering positions. Jia, Kaza and Eilonwy exchanged ranged fire with the sharpshooters while Gilee and Doomgrad attempted to get into cover. However a sharpshooter in a flanking position down one of the side passage also opened up, forcing them to crouch where they could to avoid the withering crossfire.

Kaza decided that their situation was desperate, and she once more summoned forth the ball of spitting fire that had defeated Irontooth. This she sent down the side passage to scare away the flankers, allowing Gilee to push forwards in an attempt to get at the other sharpshooters. Doomgrad also ran down the side passage to get at the ambushers.

Down in the pit, Bakaan was suffering from the continued rat assault. Bleeding from dozens of small wounds, he swung his sword at the rats, and although some fell dead, their furry companions continued to bite and chew. The combination of the pain of the bites, and the shock of the impact at the bottom of the pit conspired against him, and he fell into unconsciousness. Unimpressed, the rats continued to bite his prone form.

Fearing for the brave Tiefling, Eilonwy and Jia sprang into action. Swiftly tying a rope around the nearest pillar, Jia began to climb down, while Eilonwy bathed the bottom of the pit in holy fire, scorching many of the rats and healing Bakaan of some of his wounds.

Doomgrad and the flaming sphere had driven off the sharpshooter who had been flanking the party, and chased after him down another passageway. As he did this, Gilee fought her way down the passageway toward the main group of goblins, her sword a tide of iron that pushed the goblin warriors backwards.

Jia arrived at the bottom of the pit and her arrival attracted the rats who began to attack this new threat. She looked in horror at Bakaan's blood soaking the stones.

“Oh, Gods, he's dead!” she thought, ”And I never got to tell him that I-”. However at that moment, Eilonwy's healing magics brought Bakaan back to consciousness. Within seconds he was on his feet and had climbed up the rope with an almost superhuman speed. Jia found herself alone at the bottom of the pit, facing a horde of rats, while the fallen warlord was alive and safe at the top.

“Oh, arse!” she exclaimed.

Gilee defeated the last of the goblin warriors and ran forwards into the room where the sharpshooters were located at the same time that Doomgrad and the blazing sphere surged in from the side passage. Met with a furious rain of highly accurate crossbow bolts, Gilee was badly injured. Eilonwy, following up from the room with the pit was forced to expend more of her magics to heal the wounded warrior.

The arrival of Doomgrad, Gilee, Kaza's flaming sphere, Eilonwy and Bakaan spelled disaster for the remaining goblins, and soon the sharpshooters were dead.

Behind them, Jia pulled herself from the pit, muttering under her breath.